Furnace for smelting and refining ores.



UNITED STATES Parana? WILLIE MARTIN BOWLES AND CHARLEY oSKER ALLEN, or strait/NEE, onnanoiuh.

FURNACE IQR SMELTING AND REFINILNG OR EEQ.

Specification of Letters Baten't.

Patented Sept. 16,1913.

Application filed July 12, 1911. sera'1naess,475.

.70 all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIE M. BOWLES and CHARLEY O. ALLEN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Shawnee, in the county of Pottawatamie and State of Oklahoma, have made certain new and use ful Improvements in Furnaces for Smelting and Refining Ores, of which the following is a specification. r

Our invention relates to improvements in furnaces for smelting and refining ores and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of our invention is to provide a device by means of which ores such as those of zinc or lead may be smelted by means of the heat from an electric arc.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device by means of which the vapors of the metals may be condensed and may be drawn 01f.

A further object of ourinvention is to provide a device by which the soluble acid vaporsmay be gotten rid of.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specificatiomand the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

or invention is lllustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a furnace constructed according to our invention and Fig. 2is a section alongthe line 2-2..of Fig. 1. In carrying out our invention we provide a furnace comprising amain body portion 1, built of refractory material. This has an inclinedhearth 2 at the front end of which is a Well 3 having a refractory lining 4 of carbon or ot-her'conducting material. At the bottom of the well is-an outlet 6. Disposed centrally of the well is acarbon eleo trode 7 which is carried byga rack 8 are ranged to be raised or lowered by a pinion 9 on a shaft 10 which is driven by a gear 11. guide member 12 is provided for the-rack. A' peep hole 13 is located in the front end of the furnace and above the hearth 2 is a 14. The ore is designed the furnace through openings 16 above the hearth 2. Disposed immediately above the hearth 2 are a series of'carbon electrodes 17 on one side and a similar series 18 on the other side. These electrodes maybe adjusted toward or away from the opposing electrodes by 20 on a, shaft 21 operated by a gear 22. In Fig. 2 .we have shown one of these electrodes so adjiisted, but it will be understood that the entire series of electrodes may be adjusted. simultaneously by av similar contrivanceft'Ileading from the upper end of the furnace isa tube 22 in which is a spiral screw conveyor 23 on a shaft 24 which may be driven by gear 25. The tube 22 is surrounded by an outer tube 26 at the bottom of which is an inlet 27 beneath which is a burner 28. At the end of the tube 22 is an outlet chute 29. The tube 22 communicates with a chamber 30 at the top of which is a conical condenser 31 having a water jacket 32. On the inner side of'the condenser is a trough33having an outlet 34. From the topof the condenser 31 a pipe 35 leads downwardly into a water tank 36 which is supported on a frame 37 vided with a drain cock 38.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The ore is carried by.means of the con veyer 15 into the furnace above the electrodes 17 and 18. WVhen the current is turned 'on the intense heat of the arcs causes the smelting of the ore and the metal runs down the inclinedhearth 2 into the well 3. Here it may be further refined,

veyer 22 where the powder is deposited The operation of the conveyer serves to scrape the powder to the end of the conveyer where it is discharged through the chute 29. In order toregulate he temperature ofthe tube 22 we provide a burner 28 which" heats the tube to the proper temperature for securing the best results. Any vapors which pass through the tube 22 maybe further condensed inthe condenser 31, which as stated is provided with a trough 33 for collecting the condensed Vapors, the product being drawn off at the out- 110 means of a rack 19 and pinion and which is proand deposited gutter or let 34:. Any acid vapors or any gaseswhic'h are soluble will pass through the pipe 35' scraping In a device for smelting ones, a furnace, means for producing' a series of, arcs, means for introducing oreilbove said arcs, a tube leading from said furnace for condensing the metallic vapors, a screw conveyer for the Walls thereof and for forcing the condensed product out of said tube, an

emme air jacket suirouncling saicl screw conveyer an opening into smcl an acket beneath sand tube, and a. burner dlsposed at the mouth 023 said opening for lleatingthe air :5

in the air jacket.

WILLIE MARTIN BO WLES CHARLEY OSKER ALLEN. Wisnesses:

A E. PACEY, G. L. EBPURLOCK, 

